


Lead From The Front

by Ecipoe



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: It’s literally just Carver raising hell, you know like he does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ecipoe/pseuds/Ecipoe
Summary: Carver Hawke is one of the many templars recruited to the Inquisition. On his rounds in Skyhold he witnesses the Inquisitor training for battle. He is not impressed.In which Carver Hawke give his opinion on how warriors should fight. And as is his fashion, riles up old acquaintances.
Kudos: 6





	Lead From The Front

Carver has seen the Inquisitor. Who hasn’t after that big speech? And of course he could pick her out of a crowd. Not that his fellows could. But he’s always been a bit more cognizant than his fellows. So, of course her recognizes the woman in the training ring with his old Knight-Captain. He stops to see how this plays out.

Evelyn is not a warrior. 

This is the first thing Carver notices. She holds herself too tightly, too together. Her stance is not wide at all. He could topple her by sheer will of blinking with a stance like that. More embarrassingly, the former Knight-Captain is praising her efforts. 

Maker, this is the woman who stands between Thedas and destruction?

The second thing Carver notices, is the way her muscle is built in her arms. Evelyn must know her way around a bow. He’s known a few decent archers in his time, knows the signs. But this woman is holding a sword, barely he might add with how lax her grip is, and has a shield strapped to her arm. And doesn’t know how to stand to balance the weight of such weapons.

His sisters would weep if they saw this. 

“Good, good, now remember you hold the line. You don’t rush in. Keep your shield up.”

Bullshit, he thinks. Cullen is teaching her bullshit. 

He watches the inquisitor fumble and helplessly flail the training sword at Cullen. It’s too painful. He can’t do it.

“You know it helps if you get a grip on the sword.” He says it before he notices with a bit too much venom. Cullen’s gaze snaps over to him. 

“Carver.” He says the man’s name like it’s the foulest thing he can think. 

“Former Knight-Captain, Inquisitor.” He greets both of them, coming to lean on the edge of the training ring. 

Evelyn looks at him curiously. Cullen glares as if his look could kill Carver.

“What’s wrong with my grip?” If she sensed the animosity between the men, she says nothing.

“Nothing.” Cullen insists.

Carver rolls his eyes. “You’re holding it like you’re afraid the sword is going to bite you. And too low. There’s a whole hilt there and you’re pinching the end. Move up, the guard is there to keep your fingers on.”

Evelyn considers. 

“You’re one of the templars from Therinfall?”

“Ser Carver.” He replies. 

She nods. Gestures for him to step in the ring.

“Show me how to hold this better then, Ser Carver.”

He’s damn happy to. He tosses his legs over the fence and strides across the ring. Carver pries her fingers from the blade, and replaces her hand slowly tightening one finger around at a time. Evelyn hums when he lets go and she supports the weight of it. “It’s not wobbling as much.” She notes. He grunts in response. “Closer up you hold it the better control.” Evelyn nods to Cullen to raise his shield. She hazards a few swings. 

It is less cumbersome.

If barely.

She turns and looks at him expectantly. 

Oh. 

He’s gotten himself into the middle of educating and now she wants his input. He has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, but this time he supposes it isn’t too bad.

“Your stance. Can you give it some strength? Stand like that in a battle and you’ll taste dirt before you get a swing in.”

“Show me.”

He nods. Walks over to the weapon stand and snatches a training maul. Not a greatsword like he prefers, but it will do. Carver quickly assessed the weight, familiarizes himself with the balance with the speed of an expert, and plants his feet hard. He squares his hips and bends his knees just slightly to keep movement. Evelyn mimics. It’s not good, but he doesn’t feel like a particularly strong breeze will slay her now. 

“Good.”

“Thank you. What else?”

How to go about this without making it personal? Ah, fuck it. If anyone was ever good at making it personal, that person was a Hawke.

“You have mages, Inquisitor?”

“Yes.”

“They good with barriers?”

“Yes.”

“You trust them with your life?”

“Of course I do.”

He digs the head of his maul into the earth and leans on the end. Blue eyes blaze. She meets his gaze evenly. 

“Then don’t listen to a word from that one.” He snarls gesturing to Cullen. “Boys take it slow when their people are dying. Boys take it slow when they do not have protection or backup. Men, Inquisitor, men lead from the front. And if ever there was someone who should lead, it is you.”

Evelyn drinks in what he says slowly. She is a sponge for this man’s knowledge. 

“And what if my mages can’t keep the barrier?” She challenges him. Carver grins. 

“That’s what your shield is for. You don’t ask people to bleed blood you wouldn’t bleed. Put your shield up and keep pushing.”

Cullen snorts. He crosses the distance between them, meets eyes with Carver. Bird and lion. 

“What would you know about leading from the front? Your sister is a mage. She leads from the back.” He intends for it to cut deep. Old feuds. Old disagreements. Carver’s eyes find the familiar mark his fist left on Cullen’s mouth. Cullen follows Carver’s look and his own eyes narrow.

“I sure as hell didn’t learn it from you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Oh, as if Marian ever took the risk.”

“Keep my sister’s name out of your mouth, Cullen. Or have you forgotten what happened last time?”

Evelyn steps between them, shoves them apart. 

“What is wrong with you two? There’s obviously a history here, and I don’t care to know the details, but both of you better stop now. He was just trying to give me some advice, Cullen.”

“Poor advice, Evelyn.” Cullen snaps back.

She glares. He closes his mouth before he says anything else. Carver carries the maul back over to the armory. 

“Men lead from the front Inquisitor. Cowards hide behind other people’s lives. If you’re going to go down this path, you’re gonna get hurt. Broken bones, bruises, worse. It comes with the job. The best you can do, is take the brunt. A warrior takes the brunt. If that isn’t for you, I suggest a different style. I also suggest a teacher who understands you will get hurt and trains you for that.”

“Would you recommend anyone?”

Carver shrugs. Looks over his shoulder at her.

“Pentaghast won’t coddle you.” He says before he leaves the ring and returns to his ground.

**Author's Note:**

> You cannot convince me that Carver is not one of the best warriors in Thedas. The man survived Ostagar, and being experimented on by at least two if no three mages his entire life. Plus the Qunari invasion (or darkspawn if he’s a warden like what) and the fall of Kirkwall. Oh, also the multiple ogres and possible dragons. There’s no way the mage siblings were good with barriers originally. Not to mention, his whole life he trained to protect his family from templars. Carver is an absolute force and I won’t hear otherwise. 
> 
> Plus he definitely gave Cullen that scar. Maybe during templar sparring maybe over too many drinks. It’s just such a Carver thing to do.


End file.
